First Arrival
by kingsraconteur
Summary: A homage to one of the many great battle scenes from this game.


**First Arrival**

Briggs surveyed his crew in the silence of the plane. He worried, for the mission would be hard for veteran soldiers let alone a collection of first timers.

He went to the cockpit to check details with the pilot.

'Mikey, you sure you got the co-ordinates?'

The pilot raised a thumb.

'I want a silent drop. We have to catch them off guard.'

Mikey relayed the co-ordinates. Briggs returned to his crew.

He saw their nerves fraying. The first battle was always the hardest.

'Everyone, listen up. I know this is our first mission together. I'll be honest with you I haven't got much idea what we'll be running into. I do know this though, you've trained hard and you're ready. There's probably nothing out there. Knowing our luck someone got startled by a couple of cats.'

There were a few laughs. He was pleased to break the tension. He wanted them at ease until they needed to fight.

'We'll do this like we've practiced over and over at base. We split up into three groups and survey the terrain. We search everywhere from fields, houses, trees and of course the wreckage.

Briggs felt the craft descend. He clamped his hand onto the guard rail.

'We're almost here. Keep close and stay vigilant.'

'Bird's landed Captain,' announced the pilot.

'Ready your weapons. Mikey, open the doors and lower the ramp.'

Briggs led the party. He listened and heard a breeze and several crickets. He advanced and beckoned Law and Banks to follow.

The trio moved away from the craft. Briggs smelt burning fuel. He ordered Groups B and C to begin their examination.

'Captain, I see an outbuilding next to the wheat-field.'

Briggs thanked Law. She had proved herself to be the best female soldier from the latest intake.

'Good work Mel.'

They inched forward yet their night-vision goggles showed no hint of life. Briggs pointed his heavy cannon towards the barn.

'Banks scout round to the left. We'll come in together.'

The soldier skirted round to the far side of the barn.

Briggs motioned towards the door. The three combatants burst inside with their fingers on triggers. They scanned the interior and a range of haystacks remained unmoving.

'Captain, I think I've got something,' whispered the radio.

'Scooter, what do you see?'

We're at the edge of an orchard. Ulvanov swears she saw a grey figure run into the trees.'

'Ok, take your squad in but be bloody careful.'

Scooter brought Ulvanov and Williams to his side. He pointed to Ulvanov and to the far side of a hedge. He ordered Williams to crawl towards the centre. Scooter sidled over to the right.

The three moved into position. Williams aimed his heavy cannon into the depths of the orchard. Scooter found shelter behind a tree and scanned the area to no avail. He ordered his team forward.

He saw movement from his left and raised his rifle. A grey humanoid stepped into his line of fire. Briggs prepared to shoot.

He aimed into a pair of emotionless black eyes. He could not pull the trigger. His logic told him the creature was dangerous yet he could not fire. He was losing control. He felt a new directive and turned back.

Katrina searched the left side of the orchard. She was startled when a rifle shot rang out. Scooter headed towards her.

'Sarge, was that you?'

He never answered.

'Sarge,' she hissed

She worried the shot would have heralded their arrival. She wondered where Williams was. Scooter stumbled and grimaced when he fired.

Katrina never saw the flash. Her life expired when the bullet smashed into her forehead. She fell at Scooter's feet.

Scooter felt wretched yet could do nothing. The grey creature was his master. He turned and awaited fresh orders.

'Captain, what's happening with Scooter?' asked Hoffman on the radio.

'Hans, I want you to continue to the farmhouse and the craft. I'll take my squad and investigate the orchard.'

'Okay Captain.'

His thoughts were interrupted by a fresh gunshot and he turned his attention to his two squad members.

'Listen, I can't understand why Scooter isn't responding so we're going to take a look. There's something badly wrong. I fear we might be dealing with a Sectoid Leader.'

He had never used the term in front of his troops. The secret files hinted at full mind control yet the commanders were skeptical. Briggs worried the scientists were proved correct.

'Sectoid Leaders? Is there something we should know Captain?'

Briggs held up his hand.

'Don't look them in the eye.'

The smell of burning intensified. Hoffman felt they were close to the wreckage. Hoffman had served for many years in the German special-forces. He'd seen everything from terrorism to peace keeping. He never experienced fear until he heard two shots from the orchard.

'Sarge, the field, it's full of cows,' panted Clark.

'Well, it is a farm.'

Hoffman couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice. His Australian colleague did like to state the obvious.

'Yes, but the cows are all dead.'

Hoffman had read reports of cattle experiments. He had investigated several properties where farmers had been perplexed to find healthy animals dead with no obvious signs of injury.

'Did you see anything else?'

The scout composed himself.

'I saw flames at the edge of the field right next to a building.'

Hoffman hoped the building would yield a good view of the surrounding area. He and his crew aimed their weapons on the farmstead.

He kicked down a fence and his squad crept low amongst cowpats and grazed grass. He found the smell of burning flesh overpowering. Hoffman inspected one of cows.

He discovered the wounds on their flesh were covered by several puncture wounds. He guessed they had been caused by an alien firearm.

The farmhouse was of a modern design. No light shone back from the shuttered windows.

'Charlie, head to the front door and wait. I'll investigate the right side and Karl you search the left.'

His soldiers raised their thumbs and began their maneuvers. He heard an odd fizzing noise and several bricks crumbled near to where Karl had stood.

'Karl, get down.'

The solider fell and trained his rifle back to the direction to where he thought the shot had come from.

Another shot rang out and a section of the wall disintegrated. Karl heard strange babbling sounds and became the first soldier to hear aliens talk.

'Karl, get the hell out of there.'

Karl inched towards the hole in the wall. He did not register the strange brown sphere next to his foot. An orange eruption destroyed the rest of the brickwork and anything unfortunate nearby.

Hoffman and Charlie called out and were answered by the slow crackle of fire and falling timbers. Hans ordered Charlie to aim his cannon to where the projectile had originated.

The squaddie steadied his arm and estimated where the aliens were hiding and fired.

His rocket flew through the passageway by the side of the house and launched itself into the dark interior. The house was seared by a fresh wave of fire and an unrecognized scream answered.

'Good. Reload.'

Hans kept his eyes focused for unexpected movements.

Charlie aimed into the fireball ahead and awaited the order.

'Fire.'

The flames inside spiraled towards the roof. The aliens remained silent.

'Did you hit anything?'

Charlie shrugged. Hoffman advanced into the unknown. The soldiers kept low and pushed on. Hoffman held up his hand and investigated the outline of a body. He turned over a heap of dead flesh and found the husk of a woman. Hoffman struggled to repress a surge of nausea.

He stepped over the farmer's wife and saw a shattered chrome edifice ahead. He hoped there would be something left to salvage.

The craft was punctured by several cavities and smoke billowed out. He was tempted to allow Charlie a round into one of the gaps but refrained. He wished he had more troops.

'Charlie, put your mask on. Pull out your pistol; we can't use the big gun in there.'

Charlie placed his cannon onto the ground. He glanced back to the building and still there was no movement.

The two men rushed inside. Hoffman never saw the Sectoid lying behind a command console.

The remaining alien fired and the green discharge scratched the Sergeant's arm before striking a panel. Hoffman returned fire and the bullets struck home. Charlie also fired and the creature dropped to the ground.

The two investigated the small interior of the craft and found two corpses. Hoffman guessed they had died in the crash.

'Come on, let's report back to the Captain.'

He examined the alien. The grey humanoid was small with a bulbous head and unblinking eyes. The body was slender and near the left hand lay a strange brown orb similar to what had taken Karl's life. Hoffman knew the scientists would be overjoyed to get their hands on the alien grenade.

'Hoffman, we've dealt with Scooter and captured a Sectoid Leader. I'm afraid we've suffered losses. How are things your end.'

'We lost Karl Sir. I think we've secured the area though and have got several pieces of their technology.'

'Sorry to hear that Hans. Good work though. Our scientists will be more than pleased.'

Hans sighed. He knew there would be more missions. He vowed not to make any more friends.


End file.
